Just from a practical perspective if I were advising the American government on PR I would suggest finding Bradley Manning mentally ill, putting him in a secure home for thirty six months then quietly letting him go.
Otherwise this David and Goliath struggle risks becoming archetypal (in the Jungian sense) and spawning creative interpretations that will become "fact" whatever the real facts of the case (one can imagine a feature film directed by George Clooney, with Justin Timberlake in the lead role, and all the unnecessary clothes-removing that has taken place adding sexual prurience, and all the left-wing film reviewers bigging it up intellectually, and the film opening at the Sundance Festival, and Cannes giving the movie the Palme d'Or just to spite Hollywood etc etc).
It's not a battle that the American military can win (or should really care about winning), and may provoke an unwelcome Dreyfus-style upheaval in future years.
Assange however is fair game and they should go for him as hard as they can.
Otherwise this David and Goliath struggle risks becoming archetypal (in the Jungian sense) and spawning creative interpretations that will become "fact" whatever the real facts of the case (one can imagine a feature film directed by George Clooney, with Justin Timberlake in the lead role, and all the unnecessary clothes-removing that has taken place adding sexual prurience, and all the left-wing film reviewers bigging it up intellectually, and the film opening at the Sundance Festival, and Cannes giving the movie the Palme d'Or just to spite Hollywood etc etc).
It's not a battle that the American military can win (or should really care about winning), and may provoke an unwelcome Dreyfus-style upheaval in future years.
Assange however is fair game and they should go for him as hard as they can.
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